My Top 10 Photos

This blog post is dedicated to my Top 10 Photos from this semester. I would not consider myself a photographer by any means, and when I saw that we would need to take photos for this class I was honestly a little intimidated. I am the type of person who will go to events without taking a single picture. I get distracted easily and forget to take everything in at times. This class has taught me about the importance of taking a breath and appreciating what is around me. I remember Dr. Williams describing the nature observation component of each class. This really made me realize how I always seem to be in a hurry for no reason. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking these slower walks back from class, and I believe that I have become more cognizant of the nature around me when doing a variety of other activities like running or driving.

I believe that there is something so comforting about being able to look at a picture and be instantly teleported back to a specific time and place. Although we can always go back to these memories in our minds, I really think that pictures tell a story, and this class has helped me realize the power of a photograph. I have chosen these photographs because each one holds a memory. I can look at these individual pictures and remember the seconds leading up to and immediately following the moment captured in the photo. In addition, these photographs were taken in a variety of locations at different times throughout the semester, showcasing my journey over the past couple of months. 

Trinity River, Fort Worth, TX
5:25 pm, September 5, 2022

Benbrook Lake, Fort Worth, TX
7:25 pm, September 22, 2022

Benbrook Lake, Fort Worth, TX
7:52 pm, September 22, 2022

Fort Worth Nature Center, Fort Worth, TX
3:41 pm, September 28, 2022

Trinity River, Fort Worth, TX
8:07 AM, October 12, 2022

Driving in Cordova, TN
11:06 AM, October 17, 2022

Shelby Farms Greenline, Memphis, TN
9:52 AM, November 21, 2022

Shelby Farms Park, Memphis, TN
10:06 AM, November 21, 2022

Horseback Riding in Eads, TN
2:56 PM, November 23, 2022

Eads, TN
3:04 PM, November 23, 2022

Shelby Farms

Last week in class, we talked about Stegner’s Wilderness Letter, in which Stegner argues for the preservation of the natural world. Many quotes from this letter have really stuck with me, and I have been thinking a lot about them during the past week. I wholeheartedly agree with much of what Stegner presents in his letter. He asserts that without the natural world, there is no chance for “reflection and rest.” Last week in Fort Worth, the weather was horrible – it was cold and rainy and miserable to walk the short ten minutes to class each day. I am someone who tries to do something outside every day. I run in the morning a few days during the week and like to go for walks in the afternoon if I have the time. However, the weather last week prohibited my scheduled outdoor time. I know my high school cross country coach would laugh at me and say that my skin is waterproof. However, I truly hate cold weather, and I despise being cold AND wet. 

When I was driving home for Thanksgiving break, I was relieved to see that the weather at home was going to be perfect – sunny and 60° for a few days. I mentally started making a checklist in my head of all the things I wanted to do during the week, which I knew was going to flash by in the blink of an eye like it always does. At the top of my list was to go to Shelby Farms, a big park on the outskirts of the city. I spent a lot of time here growing up. My mom would take my brothers and I to play at the park when we were younger, and I had cross country practice and meets here as well. This time last year, I was training for a marathon and remember my dad run/walking and going to pick up Chick-fil-A for me as I trudged along the trail on my 15 mile run. This year, I didn’t have to worry about training for a race, so when I went to Shelby Farms, I walked a little, ran a little, but spent the majority of the time just wandering around. One trail had a variety of trees planted and labeled with their different names, a new edition since the last time I had been there. I saw a ton of animals during my time, at least three different groups of deer, a bunch of different birds, and even a little bunny. 

It made my heart happy to see so many other people outside too. While it seems like our society is obsessed with industrialization and technological advancement, there must be a few sane people left in the Parks and Recreation department who make sure that places like Shelby Farms continue to exist. Stegner boldly claims that “One means of sanity is to retain a hold on the natural world.” I think that the other people outside enjoying the park would agree with this statement. Being outside brings comfort and tranquility that cannot be found anywhere else. Those few days last week where I was trapped inside made me feel like I was going a little bit crazy. As Stegner also points out, we are not meant to live the way that we do. While our societal advances have brought increased comforts, these comforts have come at a cost. Stegner argues that we have tried to domesticate ourselves. However, preserving the natural world helps us to maintain the mental clarity that can only be achieved through nature.

Back Home

Stegner discusses his reluctance to return back to Glen Canyon because he fears it will not be the same as he remembers it. I have also felt this uneasy feeling, especially when coming home for breaks. It is weird to come back to Memphis and see how things have changed since I have been away. Some of these changes are small – my mom hangs a new photo in the living room and a new restaurant opens down the street – while others are pretty big – another lane has been added to a road to accommodate more drivers and a new building is under construction at my high school. Although I don’t love change, I also don’t hate it. I think that change is good because it allows us to see things differently and grow as people. I truly believe that humans are great at adapting. We quickly accommodate to new technologies and ever-changing trends. If anything, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that people can adapt to a completely different way of life and do so relatively quickly. 

While change can be scary, I think that one way to cope with newness is to return to places that have remained unchanged. For me, one of my favorite places to go is a farm a few minutes from my house where we keep our horses. For over the past decade, this place has been a constant in my life. The driveway looks the same each time I drive down it, and the same horses have been in the same stalls in the barn (for the most part). Although my horse has gotten older and has a few more gray hairs than he did a few years ago, he still eats the same hay every morning and gets turned out in the same field every afternoon. There is something intrinsically comforting about going back to these types of places. I find even more comfort in knowing that this place exists outside in nature. 

My horse, Samba, and I enjoying the view.

One thing I miss being in Fort Worth is getting to see the leaves change color. We don’t have much of a fall in Texas. The weather seems to go from miserably hot to cold with not much in between. Memphis always has a beautiful fall, and I truly enjoyed seeing all of the trees before Thanksgiving. The transition through the seasons is another example of change, but most people aren’t as scared about this type of transformation as others. When it comes to nature, change is not only expected, but it is also necessary and normal. I think we can learn a good deal from being in nature. Sometimes we must go through uncomfortable situations, similar to the leaves falling from the trees, in order to come out better on the other side. Whenever I start feeling nervous about the future and whatever changes are in store, coming back to nature and these outdoor places of comfort always ease my mind and make me feel at home.